Violence in Pakistan’s largest city claims dozens of lives in one week

3 Apr 2012 - 11:04

Islam Times - At least 26 people, including a local leader of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), have been killed in the recent spate of violence in the country’s key port city of Karachi.

On Monday, seven people were shot dead while over two dozen others suffered injuries in the Lyari neighborhood of Pakistan's most populous city.

Some locals in the southern Lyari neighborhood accused the police of murdering PPP leader Hasan Soomro.

However, others maintained that Soomro, who died from gunshot wounds near Aath Chowk Lyari, fell victim to unidentified gunmen. His assassination caused mass protests in the area.

President Asif Ali Zardari convened an emergency meeting on the law and order situation in Karachi, and ordered the law enforcement agencies to firmly deal with criminals.

The victims of weeklong violence belong to rival criminal and ethnic gangs, security forces as well as common people caught up in the crossfire.

This year, about 381 people have lost their lives in Karachi violence, which is largely blamed on members of local political party Mutihida Qaumi Movement (MQM), and Pashtun migrants from Pakistan’s northwest, affiliated with the Awami National Party (ANP).